ECU brings together higher education, community and student leaders to address food insecurity

ECU brings together higher education, community and student leaders to address food insecurity

For example, Fayetteville State created "pantries on the go" in its residence halls. Piedmont Community College offers a free mini farmer's market on campus, partnering with local farmers to provide fresh vegetables. And Central Carolina Community College pairs access with support, putting recipes, ingredients and supplies needed for a meal altogether.

Programs are tailored to community needs, to provide choices and access for users, which equals dignity, Beros said. "When you listen to your neighbors and students, ask them what they need and build that for them, they feel comfortable, they feel confident, and it's easier to ask for help," she said.

"There's no single playbook, and we don't believe there should be," Beros said. "It's about listening first, reducing barriers, building with partners and making food security part of a student success program."

'Worst hunger crisis in a generation'

Beros shared statistics from December 2024 that have already increased - some estimates by 50% or more - because of the impacts of federal changes that have gone into effect since then. It includes federal funding reductions and changes in eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, she said.

"I just want to be clear. This is not a forecast of what is to come. This is what's already happening in our communities, and we believe it is a significantly lower estimate than what is reality," Beros said.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last fall that it will no longer publish its longstanding Household Food Security Report, which provided yearly data on food insecurity for low-income Americans. Without the report, Beros and other advocates won't have a good picture of the scale of hunger they are trying to prevent. "So we are going to have to keep listening to our communities and better understanding our neighbors to understand what the needs are," she said.

Across North Carolina, 1.7 million people are food insecure, including over 505,000 children. In Pitt County, over 30,000 people - 1 in 6 - are facing food insecurity.

"These are not abstract numbers. These are our neighbors, these are our coworkers, these are our students that you're in class with. This shows up in universities, it shows up in our workspaces, it shows up in every single place in our community," Beros said. "This is the worst hunger crisis we've seen in at least a generation."

The cost of food, housing, utilities and healthcare continue to rise along with record prices for diesel and fertilizer. "Those are going to continue to have drastic impacts on our food and other expenses over the coming years," she said.

Feeding America estimates that food insecure households in North Carolina face a collective food budget shortfall of nearly $1.2 billion, Beros said. "That means that is the additional income that North Carolinians would have to have to be able to consistently put healthy food on their tables each and every day," she said.

She challenged participants to build on what works, identify gaps and remove at least one barrier in their own communities, to strengthen and forge new partnerships, and continue to get feedback from students.

From awareness to action

The conference included breakout sessions on topics from student voice and advocacy to nutrition, campus resources, community partnerships and best practices.

In a hands-on simulation, participants experienced some of the decisions and barriers that a college student experiencing food insecurity may have to navigate.

Another featured a campus pantry forum with staff and student leaders from NC A&T, NCSU, ECU, Elizabeth City State and Fayetteville State on what support looks like at their institutions. Participants moved from table to table to learn more from each program.

Ambrose Key and Samiah Kirksey, seniors at NC A&T State, are leaders in the Aggie Source Food Pantry, which provides food, personal care items and professional clothing for students. Several students who work in the pantry attended the conference.

Key is studying agricultural business with a focus on improving local food systems. He plans to take back what he learned from the conference. "For me, it's being able to expand a sustainable food network system within North Carolina. We see that a lot of these colleges may be in food desert areas, so being able to come together to use our strengths and organizations to help our individual communities," Key said.

Kirksey, a senior criminal justice major, joined the Source about two years ago and had very little knowledge about food insecurity until she was homeless for about four months while in college. "Being at the Source and having that community, it not only supported me, but I learned more about what's going on and how food instability is really important," she said.

"It's one thing being at the Source and seeing our pantry, but looking at other pantries and seeing what you guys are doing, taking the tips to bring to the Source, and grow our community, our HBCU is really big so we're always constantly trying to do better things and make sure we're growing in a positive direction," Kirksey said.

Since both are seniors, they also are putting together a succession plan for co-leads and volunteers at the pantry after they graduate.

Stevie Kimmet, program director of Pack Essentials, attended the conference with several student leaders in the Feed the Pack Food Pantry.

"One of the things we were hoping for is connection," she said. "I want our students to be able to connect with other people doing this work because there is no right way to combat food insecurity. And hearing how a bunch of different universities and community partners and other folks are out here doing the same thing is invaluable insight for us."

She enjoyed hearing about ECU's cooking demonstrations with students, because it's something she's interested in doing at N.C. State.

"It's nice to be reminded that we're all doing the same things, and that the challenges that we have, we're not alone," Kimmet said.

ECU helps students be successful

ECU's Williams-Ross Purple Pantry is an incredible resource for students because it helps ensure that access to food and basic necessities are not something students have to worry about while pursuing their education, said Sahana Suresh, a sophomore majoring in biology and Spanish at ECU.

"College can come with many unexpected challenges, and having a resource like the Purple Pantry reminds students that they are supported and that they don't have to face those challenges alone," Suresh said. "The Purple Pantry is a reflection of the ECU community coming together to care for one another and make sure every student has the opportunity to succeed."

The pantry opened in 2018 and is supported by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Aramark, Food Lion, Trader Joe's and other partners off and on campus including ECU's Division of Student Affairs, ECU Dining, the Department of Technology Systems in the College of Engineering and Technology and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Events and programs continue to grow such as Midweek Meal Prep (once a month in the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center Kitchen) & Stop, Shop, and Stroll (at various locations around campus monthly) to raise awareness about pantry resources, build life skills like cooking and meal prep, and creating more accessibility around campus. The Center for Student Success is creating a new foster care initiative and collaborating with campus dining to set up an on-campus SNAP benefits store for students.

The pantry has locations in the Main Campus Student Center, the Health Sciences Campus Student Center, and Mini Pantry sites on both campuses.

"The Purple Pantry has been a helpful resource for me during busy weeks at ECU," said Emely Cruz-Ramirez, a senior computer science major. "When I'm running low on groceries but don't have the time to make a trip to the store between classes, studying and other responsibilities, I can stop by the pantry and get the items I need. I really appreciate that it's right on campus, which makes it super convenient and easy to access."

At the start of the conference, a moment of silence was held for Mike Nance, director of dining services at ECU, who died this summer. Nance had been involved in planning the conference and was a longtime supporter of the Purple Pantry.

Alondra Martinez contributed to this story.

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